Engywuck@lemm.ee 3 months ago
Here in Europe many schools are doing this too. As a father of an (almost) teenger, I’m they are.
Engywuck@lemm.ee 3 months ago
Here in Europe many schools are doing this too. As a father of an (almost) teenger, I’m they are.
sunbeam60@lemmy.one 3 months ago
Got two teenagers. I’d outlaw smart phones for anyone under 18 if it was up to me. Bring the flame!
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 3 months ago
I strongly disagree, this should be a decision for parents to make, no need to get the law involved. However, schools can and should have a policy that phones need to be off (or at least silenced, no vibrate) during class, and they can check it if excused to go to the restroom or something. But I would never agree to a law banning access to phones for minors, that’s a violation of parental discretion.
sunbeam60@lemmy.one 3 months ago
We ban gambling, cigarettes, alcohol, media for children, because of harms we understand that they inflict on children.
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 3 months ago
Largely yes, but within reason, and only when under direct parental supervision. Drinking and smoking can be part of religious or cultural practices, so a small amount of that should be completely acceptable. But these should only be allowed within the home, with an exception for media, which should be allowed w/o supervision but with explicit permission.
Allowing these could constitute child abuse, but I don’t think there should be a blanket ban.
angrystego@lemmy.world 3 months ago
There are good and bad ways to use a phone. It’s not comparable to things like cigarettes.
technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 months ago
But your kids are being addicted!!! They’re literally zombies!!! They need to be saved by the state!!! \s
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 3 months ago
Yeah, it’s too bad there’s absolutely no other way for anyone to deal with this problem aside from having the police potentially arrest me or my kids for having a phone. Just think of all of the victims of this heinous crime should the police not have the authority to parent my kids for me.
jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.works 3 months ago
We got our oldest a smart phone a few years ago. Based on that experience, our younger two can buy their own smartphones when they’re adults because we’ve decided we’re not going to repeat that mistake.
sunbeam60@lemmy.one 3 months ago
Sort of the same here. Our 17 and 14 year olds were the last in their classes to get one and I still felt it was too early.
And for those without kids, here’s my actual story about what smart phones do to children: I was recently visiting an enormous aquarium abroad; just tank after tank of impressive displays.
As we arrived we realised, ok wow, shark feeding is literally now, let’s go watch it. It had obviously drawn an enormous crowd of families but eventually we got ourselves into a position where we could see. And then my wife tapped my shoulder and pointed and I noticed what she had noticed: At prime viewing position, on these pedestal sort of things, we’re sitting a row of teenagers, all of them, to the very last boy and girl, hunched over and staring at their smartphones.
LITERAL SHARKS WERE BEING HAND FED RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM and they couldn’t give a shit because PHONES!!!
Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 3 months ago
No, you’re right.